Corrugated-fastener machine



May 18, 1937. VA. E. cRANSToN GORRUGATEDFASTENER MACHINE Filed Nov.v18,'1935 4 sheets-sheet 1` y l Th .5,

v'May 1s, 1937. A E` CRANSTON Y 2,080,462

CORRUGATED FASTENER l MACHINE Filed Nov. 12s, 1955 4l sheets-sheet 2 vT 1Q Il Il Y-,H n wn .l-J Q BY v @i2/Luk ATTORNEY A. E. cRANsToN CORRUG'ATED. FASTENER MACHINE y May 1&1937.`

4 sheets-sheet 5 Filed Nov. 18, 1935 l y IN VEN TOR mfr 6W/wmv f2 LMay' 18,1937. A. E. CRANSTON v coRRUGA-TED FASTENER MACHINE Filed Nov. 1s, 1955 v4 Sheds-Sheet 4 f IN VENTOR. l @5f/2 K P14/v.; ra/v we@ Mar-lawn Y This invention'relates toimprovements in-.fasc tener. driving machines and ithas reference in particular to machines i for v,attaching together board pieces by means offdevicesknownin trade yas .'fcorrugated fasteners;the present invention :k having for-its principal object to provide means i .whereby paired, or complemental, board pieces 'of .various widths ,maybe advanced froma supply hopper and brought tightly together in-,edge to edge yabutment andinproper alignment with .the

1 fastener applying devices for thereceptionof the fasteners. n

Explanatory to the .present/invention, it will f f' herel be-statedthatiinV -the present daymanufacl ture of apple boxes, and theblike;theendsections j of the boxesvinsteadlof beinggmadegfrom single pieces yof board,` can 'be economicallymade-,up of two ,board pieces :secured edgetog edge"to forman end'section4 of the standard Vdimensionv which is go-approximately 12 inchessquare.l Sometimes'two pieces ofeequal width are `rused`- to Aformanzend ywill hereinafter be described-.1, A

;;section, .but more-frec1uently the pieces are of unequalwidth; it being.' essentialr only-that the o ff twoipieces use dbe of therequiredlength and that l" 2 5f their combined Widthawhen'assembled, equal the width'of lan endxsection ofthe standard dimen-f -;sions. Thus, it may be that in they promiscuous selecting of board YpiecesgforA v, al box end., aboard rseveninches wide will'ibe assembled-.with one five u inches wide. 'I'he next end` assembled may'V comprisea boardxpiecellfour inchesfvwide'iassociated with-one eight inches wide, 'andk the,:next1 end to' be assembled may comprise `pieces of'stillfdiiferf l ent widths. rHeretofore, itfhas'been customary to 35'man'ufacture vboxends employing two pieces, as

ifor'receptlon ofthe'fasteners. Manual assembly -and placement ofthefpieCeS, however,'is not ,i entirely satisfactory', principally, for the reason ythat itfdecreasesspeed of production'and furthermore, it addsV expense to manufacturing costs by `.reason of the labor involvedV In view of kthe abovestatementjof disadvantages inciden'tfto manual jplacementof parts in yprincipal object of this .invention tov provide a machine .for the mechanical assembling of cornplementalrboard pieces efor vthe manufacture of `box gends. Furthermore, toprovide a Vmachine :f5- including a divided hopper within which'the comtion ofthe fasteners.; v

v Y Another object resides in the provision ,of means the fastenerdriving.machine. .ithas'been the connai. {cliff-air piementai board bleues tobemade into box .ends

`maLybestacked, Iand to provideapractical and novel Vmeans whereby the complemental parts in randoml stacking'may be brought togethery and delivered to the lfastener machine andthe joint ythereof accurately located for reception oi the fastenery .devices regardlessr of variation to the machine.

t Itis also anobject of this invention to provide a novel arrangement.V of feed rolls whereby :the

complementalparts for .individual box ends may Vbe brought tightly together coincident with ltheir advancement tothe fastener machines-in -aojoint thatwill be located in proper alignment for recep# for applying fastenersirom `opposite sides f of ythe board.:l l f f V 1 Other objects of the invention reside inthe variousdetails-oi construction; inthe combination of. parts, and in theirl mode` of operation, as

Injv accomplishing 4these andother robjects -`of `-`the invention, I have provided the improved details of construction, the preferred forms of which are illustrated-in lthe, accompanyingdrawings whereinf-` 1 y. y; I. i

2Flg. lis a side elevation of a machine embody-4 ing the present invention;

' .Fig.. 2- isa cross sectionalzrdetail through y'the divided hopper of the machine,` particularly illus# trating the arrangement relativetothe hopper partition, of the boardpieces from whichthebox ends are made. ,1

Fig. y3 is aperspective view ora box end em# Jprising cornplemental board pieces4 joined by means of-corrugated fasteners in accordance with' paired rollsy whereby the. complementa1 board 1 -pieces are crowded together incident toadvancement from the hopper to the fastener machine.

Fig.7 is a transverse section, in a vertical plane,v particularlyA illustrating the' relationship of upper andy vlower rolls; parts vbeing vbroken away for better illustration. p

Fig. Bis a central longitudinal section ofthe machine as seen in line 8-.8 in Fig. 4.

Referring ymore in detail tothe drawings-.- j

' 'Ihe frame structure ofthe present machine preferably is of angle `iron formation, yand it 'i'n`1=ig, 4=,` illustrating the manner of `mounting the y V i, Fig. 6 is'anenlarged ip lan'yiewof'the seriesvyof e or table, and this is supported by opposite end frames 2 and 3 that are joined across vtheir lower ends by connecting rails 4. Mounted above the table,approximately midway between its ends,

and supported from the opposite side edges thereof, by frames or brackets 5a, is a hopper 5. This comprises a Vertical front wall 6, an inclined backwall l, and a centralpartition wall 8 ex tending in the longitudinal directionof themachine.v The boardpieces, to be assembled', to form the box ends, are stacked in thehopper upon the table, at opposite sides of the partition wall, as '1 shown in Fig. 2, and in such order that complemental pieces may be simultaneously advanced from the lower end of the hopper to the fastener driving machines, as presently will be described.

In stacking the pieces of board in the hopper,

the complemental parts for the individual box Y ends are arranged at opposite sides of thev par-V tition wall, as will be noted by reference to Fig. ,2,` and this arrangement provides that incident to feedingfthevlowermost pieces always will be paired for the formation of a box end. Comple- Vmental pieces need not be of the same sizeand it is usual that they are of unequal widths. :Also, the widthsgof pieces ofv successive endsinthe hopper mayvary 4considerably as is apparent .in Fig. 2. e

In-j the present machine, there are two fastener driving .heads operating in unison and Vthey are located in `advancejof the hopper, respectively, above and `below the table.

heads are designated by reference numerals In Fig; '8, the two I-'-'I0, and theyarelocated in longitudinal spacing that the board piecesmay be advanced in succession theretoto receive'the fasteners, and* the locationof these heads Il'I-ID is-such that the fastenerswill bedriven into the boards in symmetrical spacing. "The sectionsv of board,

when fastened together,assume the relationship illustrated in Fig. 3, wherein -a-and -bframe and supported, respectively, by crossshafts I4 'and I4'.' The'top runsof thetwo'belts loperate longitudinally along .the table top `at opposite sides of the hopper. Secured to these chain belts, at regularly spaced intervals, are transverse `feedbars' I5, which, incident to travel ofthe f chains, pass throughthe lower end of `thehopper thereby to simultaneously' engage and advance the two lowerrnost pieces of boards inth'e hopper and forward them to the fastener driving machines. Upon advancement of each set of boards from the hopper-,the two Vstacks of board'pieces feed downwardlyby gravity and the lowermost pieces in the stackshcome into position for advancement'bythe next oncoming cross bar I5.

It will be observed, by referenceto Fig. 8,` that the lower edge of the front'wall ofthe hopper terminates in such spacing above thesupprting ytable that but one set of boards can "be advanced at afti'me. Vertical adjustment ofthe wall in anysuitableway may be provided to accommodate boardsvof different thickness.

'IVhe advancement of the feed chains isinter- Y 2,080,462 l ccmpr'ises'ra horizontal top .plate I forming a bed mittent and the interval of advancement is ekactly such that the boards, at periods of rest, will be properly disposed relative to the driving l heads IU-IU to receive the fasteners.V Succesl sive advance movements of the boards after leavcated to receive4 the fasteners -fromehead I0' centrally inits under sidef,

vAdvancement of thesprocket wheels is 'eifected by an intermittent advancement of the shaft I4. This shaft is revolubly mounted in supporting bearings I6 and at one end has a ratchet I'I xed thereon Adjacent the ratchet, a lever Iarm I8 is revolubly mounted on the shaft and this has a pawl.. I9 pivoted thereon to lengage and advance the ratchet in one direction. Mounted transversely of the frame in supporting bearings'2ll is Va 'driven' shaft 2| equipped at one end witha belt pulley 22-for Aa driving belt.

As illustrated beste' in Fig. 8, thetransverse shaft 2IV is; the mainl "drive shaft of thefastener driving headIIl', and `thedriving head IIlhas a main drive shaft Il..l The shaft 5I) is driven by a 4vchain belt-y 52:l that iextends about., sprocket f wheels v53 and 54secured respectively on the shafts 2 I Vand 50, and it isto be observed that the :sprocket wheel. 50 is.` but one-half the diameter of wheel 53, providing'that the lowerY head will Adrive oneY fastener to two Vvdriven by therupper manner Wherebyeach rotationof the vcrank cf- -fects a denite advancementof the ratchet and thereby a ,'deniteadvancement Vof `the lfeed ftchain'sj'The-link isV connected pivotally t'oi arm I8 rby ablt 25 and vthe bolt may bei adjusted along the lever arm to lengthen or shortenkthe intermittent advancements ofthe feed-chains.`

It'will' be apparent that y'the random stacking if of the boardv 'pieces-in the hopper at opposite sides of the partition israther irregular and does ception of :the fastener devicesfTherefore, a feature vofv this invention resides in the provision rofwmeans for bringing'the 'complemental pieces of boardV tightly together Vand in y the provision joint.v vT'his meansis as follows:

a series of pairs of assembling rollsfacross which i the boardpieces are advanced and Wherebythev Vcomplemental'.pieces of board'V Vwill ,bef crowded together. rThelocation of these. rol1s,-relative to the hopper and fastener' machines isshown Vin plan rview in Fig. 4,'andthe' rolls are shown. in enlarged lplan'view in Fig; 6. .i The `three pairs of rolls, designatedat .3D-#30', `IlI--3Ifand 32-32' are arranged `in a recess rin the'table in `a -row longitudinally thereof, and symmetrically at opposite sides of theplane uof a-vertical, registeringn 33whichis attached Ato the forward wall of the hopper 8 and alined'with the plane of thepartition `wall-Ilfof the hopper;'its lowerv 1 edgefbeingspaced above'theplanefof Athe table across which the boards are' advanced, as'is shown in Figs. '7 and 8. f The .rolls are l'all ofthe;

samesize and their supporting. agiles 34-are -all not bringl paired pieces tightly together for rel of means forvregistering' the joint'ofy each set of pieces to.` be "joined :properly with reference to the fastener Amachines so that/fthe fasteners, fwhen driven, will-be embedded equallyin 4the tvvopieces ofr'board, 'andstherewill be no` open llForwardly of the hoppergthere is arranged" horizontally disposed and are fixed in supporting brackets 3E,v attachedto a plate 31, underlying and suspended fromthe table, as illustratedin Fig. 7. The top-surfaces .of the rolls are above the surface of thetable and the axles of paired rolls, are set in the same angular relationship to ,eachv other, kand also with respect to` the line of travel of the board pieces-so `thatfwhen the complemental pieces of board are advancedfmm the hopperto travel `respectively upon the rolls at oppositevsides of .the ,1in 33, they I will be crowded towardeach other.V It `is vtobe observed, however, by `reference to Fig. 7, that the rollsr at one-side of the lalignment iin 33 areset Y somewhat higher in yelevation than those aty the other side,jthereby to'cause lthe board piecesV that pass across the higheru rolls to contact the side o f the lower ,edge ofthe fin while those that arel advanced byk the othery rolls do not contact the fin but are urged over into contactwith the opposite pieces. Thus the two pieces .of board,

when they arrive at thestaple driving head,` are in close contact. y,

.f In `order-to insure this crowdingtogether of the two pieces of board, a pair of pressure rolls `dll- 40' are provided, respectively, to yoverlie the rolls 30`30,see Figs. 7 and 8, which-are the rst pair of lower rolls.v These pressure rolls are mounted at the lowerven'ds of plungers 4| which;

are slidably contained lin vertical guide tubes 42 xed to a transverse channel bar I3` vloverlying the table between the bracketsa. Springs 45 are arranged within the tubes to bear` downwardly against the plungers thereby to-'yielding- .ly urge the-'pressure rollsfagainst the boards. "I'he downward movement of the pressure rolls is limited by means of pins or vstuds A46 which .are fixed in the plungers and extend into longitudinal slots 48 inthe guidetubes. Thel pressure rolls are arranged in the same angular relationship as are the rolls'below them, and they aid in the inward crowding of the pieces against the fin 33. 1- Also, byV the adjustment of .tension adjusting screwsr 45A in the upper ,ends

of the tubes42, the pressure of the rolls I0 may vbe made greater than rolls 40, thereby toinsure that the boards which are contacted by the rolls 44l] will not crowd the other boardsawayifrom `the n. This result might also be obtainedby adjusting therolls to different angular relationship relative to the Vline of travel..

'Ihe corrugated fastener driving heads I0-l0' may be lof any suitable kind. However, a preferred construction ofmachine is one in which means is provided for the feeding of a-'strip of corrugated fastener material to a reciprocating cutter which operates in timing with the feed chains to cut a fastenery of a denite length from the strip and to place the piece in the path of a reciprocating hammer` which drives it into the edges of adjacent board sections. The two driving heads, as here illustrated, are arranged above and below the table, and are in proper spacing for the particular work being done, and they are soaligned that the fasteners will be driven in the proper position'.

As a matterof construction, the head I0 is supported by a horizontal arm extending transversely of the main frame from the upper end of a vertical post 6|. T`f' post is vertically adjustable in abase standard u2 to accommodate boards of different thickness.

The head l0 is supported by a vertical post fixed to the frame structurea-s seen in Fig. 1,

and the post 62 is adjustable in its spacing froml from the under side.

post 65 to change the spacing of the fasteners in their application toa board. In the illustration of 'the fastener driving heads, as shown ,in- Fig. 8, it is apparent that the two heads arey alike in construction, but the lowerone is-inverted so as to drive its fasteners,`

, into the under sides of the boards. This necessitates an abutmentto back upthe boards, and such an abutment 'is shown in the` form cfa f cross barV 68, supported adjustably from across beam 69, Ymounted transversely ofthe frame and supportedabove theftable. likewise, a support*- ing bar y'lll is arranged below the V-table below the ldriving head I0.

Each of the driving heads, as shown'in Fig. 8.

leomprisescams 15 and 'I6 fixed in the main drive shafts; and these,respective1y, actuatethe Y fastenerdrivinghammer 11 and a lever 18 which reciprocates thet fastener'cutfoi and positioning Aslide; atdetailed description of which is disg-r closed'in my U. S. application Serial No. 10,835

covering this rparticular head.

Assuming the machine -tobe so constructed,

'n it isvoperated as follows: n y

v First, the complemental board pieces are stacked in the hopper.

- machine, complemental piecesare advanced together from the hopper across the crowding rolls, whereby the pieces are brought tightly in edge to edge contact as they advance ,beyond the fin Then, upon starting the 33. This fin locates the joint exactly in the line f of travel for proper reception ofthe` fastener devices. vThe intermittentvmovement of the feed chainsrst brings the forward edge lof the `boards below the driving head I0. The next movement brings the rearward. edge .into position. The

, next advance movement locates the board prop- .These parts are not important features of the` invention.Y However, they permit a better and more extensive use of themachine.

The main features on which patent protection is .desired reside in the novel arrangementV of the vseries =of crowding rolls for bringing the board pieces tightly together in their advancement to the driving heads, and in thearrangement'of the heads for ardferent location of the fastener devices, both with respect to its top and bottom surfaces.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein, and Letters Patent isf 1. In a corrugated fastener applying machine,

the combination with a fastener driving head, a

hopper for complemental board pieces, and means for conveyingcomplemental board pieces simultaneously to the driving head, of a guide n aligned with the head, a series of rolls arranged desire to secure by at each side of the fln, for conveyance of the board pieces thereacross by the advancingmeans and angularly disposed with reference to the direction of travel of the pieces, and whereby the pieces will be held together and advanced while one is held in guiding contact with the n.

, 2. In a'corrugated fastener driving machine,

the combination with a fastener driving head, a hopper for board pieces, and a conveyer for simultaneously conveying complemental board pieces tothe driving head, of a joint registering iin aligned with the head, a series ofy rolls arranged inthe path of conveyance of the pieces 5 and across which they respectively will-be conveyed; said rollsbeing mounted in angular relationship whereby the pieces are caused incident to conveyance thereover to be crowded together in edge to edge abutment, and the joint aligned l with the fastener driving -head for reception of `a fastener: ,one set of rolls being positioned'to cause the inside edge of one of the board pieces to be held against the iin for guidance thereby while advancing. Y l 3. A lcombination as recitedin claim 2 whereinl means is provided in connection with the rolls at opposite sides of the iin `for applying pressure downwardly against the boards while conveyed across the said rollers and means for varying the pressure of the two means.

4. In a corrugated fastener driving machine, a fastener driving head, a hopper for complemental board pieces, a conveyer whereby complemental pieces are simultaneously advanced from the hop-` .25 per to the driving' head, a Joint registering guide plate aligned with the driving head and disposed for the conveyance of the complemental board pieces at opposite sides thereof, anda series of freely revolublerollsnmounted at opposite sides of the plate for the advancement of the 4bonsai piecesthereacross, said rolls being angularly disposed relative tothe plate, thereby to cause'one of the board pieces to be crowded against the plate forA aligning the Joint with the fastener driving head and thehother board' to be held against the alined board. l

5. In a corrugated fastener driving machine, a fastenerdriving' head, a hopper for complemental board pieces, a conveyer whereby comple- 40 mental pieces are simultaneously advanced from the hopper to the driving head, a -joint registering guide plate aligned with the driving head and disposed for the advancement of the complemental pieces at opposite sides thereof, and a V4,15 series of freely revoluble rolls mounted at' opposite sides of the plate for the conveyance of the v board pieces thereacross; said rolls being axiallyV angularly disposed relative'to theplate,` thereby to cause the board pieces incident to conveyance 50 thereover, to be crowded together and one to be held in guiding contact against the plate for aligning the joint with the fastener driving head,

and pressure rolls arranged in the same angular v relationship as the lower rolls,-for bearing downwardly against the board pieces while being con* veyed on the first mentioned rolls.

6. In a machine of the character described, a fastener driving head, ahopper in which stacks of complementa! yboard pieces *for box ends may be contained, a dividing partition in the hopper between the' stacks of l'complemental pieces and a registering guide plate extendingr forwardly of the hopper in the plan'e of the partition, means for advancing complemental boardpieces from -the lower end of -the hopper'to the fastener driving head, and a series of rolls arranged at opposite sides of the registering plate across which the boards'will be advanced; said rolls being located in angular relationship axially relative to the plate to effect the crowding'of the board pieces together and against the plate in their advancement acrossfthe rolls, and yieldable means exerting, downward pressure against the board pieces while passing'across the rolls and an adiustment-means for each pressure roll.

7. In a machine of the'character described, the

'y combination with a hopper for 'complemental board pieces, a conveyer for advancing complemental pieces togethen by intermittent movements, through theA machine,A a fastener Vdriving head arranged above the path of travel of the boards, a'second machine arranged below the path of travel, and means for operating the machines in timing v'with the'intermittent advance movements of the boards for the application of fasteners, tov the top and lower lsurfaces thereof.

' 8. A machine as recited in claim '1, wherein the fastener driving machines above andbelow4 the path are spaced in thelongitudinal direction of travel, and are Vtimed to prvide that the upper machinedrives its fasteners at opposite ends of the board, and the lower machine locates its fasteners at an intermediate point in the under side of the board.

9. In a board feed mechanism,l a conveyer mechanism` wherebyl board pieces are advanced simultaneouslyv at opposite sides of a registering guide plate, and a series of rolls arranged at opposite sides of the plate at different elevation and upon advancement beyond the plate.

ALBERT E. C RANSTON. 

